The Next Day
🕯🕯🕯

A quiet knock on the door sounded, waking Pippa and Lin from their uncomfortably slumbers at 9 AM. "Good morning," a small voice called, followed by a bunch of rustling. Annemarie, Lin, and Pippa slowly opened their eyes to see Enzo and Mason hanging a huge, handmade sign on the wall in front of Annemarie's bed that read "We Love You AM" and her favorite flowers drawn across it. The girls set up a few of Annemarie's favorite knickknacks from her room. A smile came to the youngest Miranda seeing her family pile into the suite. One by one everyone slowly made there way in until lastly, Claudia walked in holding the bear they were forced to share as kids.

"Hey,"

"Hey,"

Apprehension and tension rose as the twins stared at each other for a moment. Everyone watched as their eyebrows twitched, short shrugs were exchanged, and soon enough small smiles came to one another.  "Okay, I forgive you," Annemarie said.

"I forgive you, too," Claudia replied, jumping into the bed and holding onto her sister tightly. "Don't do this shit again," Claudia whispered into her sister ears, causing her to chuckle a bit.

Pippa watched her family smile and talk together, until she noticed her eldest daughter in the corner picking at her sleeve. Quietly, the lioness moved to her cub, soon standing in front of her. Lesley took notice and glanced up to her mother. "Cute shirt, I have one just like it," Pippa sarcastically said. Lesley rolled her eyes and pushed her arms behind her back. "Come on," Pippa lead.

🕯🕯🕯

She and Lesley stood outside Annemarie's hospital room, as nurses and doctors moved past them. "You spent the night?" Pippa asked. Lesley shrugged, folding her arms and leaned against the wall.

"So? I was in the neighborhood when Zo got the call," Lesley muttered. Pippa rose an eyebrow, securing her cardigan closed with her arms. That made no sense. Lesley's apartment was an hour from Pippa's house.

"You were in the neighborhood in your work stuff?" Pippa baited. Lesley nonchalantly shrugged, even though she was slightly spooked. Did Enzo call her? He wouldn't have.

"How did you know I was in my work clothes?" She asked. A smirked formed on her mother's lips, angering her child.

"You just told me," Pippa gloated. Lesley rolled her eyes, moving to go back into the room, before feeling her mother's hand on her arm. "Okay, okay, come back," Pippa pleaded.

"What?" Lesley growled, leaning back against the wall.

"What's going on?" Pippa asked, securing her cardigan again. "Your neighborhood is too far to just happen into mine." The 28 year old sucked her teeth, and dropped her head.

"I don't want to lose my child," she whispered. Pippa moved closer to her child, concern growing in her heart.

"Your child? Wh— Lesley, what are you talking about?" She asked. Lesley couldn't bear to look at her mother and tell her she was struggling. However, she also couldn't lose her family for good. And she couldn't get her life back without a place to live.

"I got evicted. I don't have a neighborhood anymore. But I didn't want you and Papá to know and take Nova away from me for good," Lesley mumbled. She was praying that her mom only halfway knew what she was saying, she could only be halfway made.

"Les," Pippa concernedly called, sending a tinge of pain through Lesley's heart. Her mother hadn't called her that in years. "How did this happen, babe?" She asked. Lesley saw her mother lean against the wall, a mood change definitely underway.

"I couldn't pay the bills anymore. My hours got cut after I refused to be a dancer. And soon enough I was lucky enough to get a single shift. I stopped showing up and so did the money," Lesley truthfully answered. Her mother still slightly distracted, caused Lesley confusion. "Bro, are you listening? See this is why I ain't even want to—"

"No," Pippa quickly stopped. "I'm listening, I promise. I just..." she trailed off not sure how to explain her thoughts. "My head is spinning. With your sister, and Enzo moving back in, and figuring out where everyone is going. I'm just tired," She said. Lesley leaned back allowing the light to hit on her mother's cheeks. They were flushed, the bags under her eyes were worn, she looked drained.

"Mom, are you okay?" Lesley genuinely asked. Pippa fidgeted with her cardigan, irritating Lesley causing her to throw her mother's hands to the side. "Mom, focus," she said as the cardigan flipped open to show Pippa's little bump. Lesley got a little look, before Pippa threw her arms back into her abdomen. "Mom, what was that?" Pippa glanced to the floor and pushed her hair behind her ears.

"It was your sibling," Pippa replied, not wanting to lie.

"This is not happening," Lesley mumbled. "How can this happen you're like... old!" She exaggerated. Pippa lightly scoffed at her child's reaction.

"I know. You think I don't know that? I'm 50. I'm practically halfway to death! This was your fathers idea. Why he would want to have a child in his 60's, I don't fucking know. But that's where we are. So, yeah. I'm stressed as shit right now," Pippa replied. Lesley tried not to chuckle, still confused at the situation.

"You're— an— oh my gosh. That's weird. I didn't even know you guys were still..." Lesley trailed off, finishing the sentence with her eyes.

"We are older, not decrepit. I look good for 50. And so does your dad. Shut up," Pippa replied, causing Lesley to out right laugh. "Oh whatever. So, anyways, are you telling me that you are trying to move back home?" Pippa asked, scooting back to the topic at hand.

"Well," Lesley replied in a high pitched voice. Pippa knew the answer and rolled her eyes.

"We can work out the details later, just bring your stuff to the house," Pippa agreed.

"Great, because it's already there," Lesley giggled, before feeling her mother pull her into a hug. The first hug they'd shared in years. "I don't even remember why we fought," Lesley mumbled. Pippa, picturing that night clearly, decided to shake her head.

"Yeah, me either," she lied. At this point in her life, having her kids around was more fulfilling than being right. And honestly, Pippa was tired of being right at the expense of her relationships.

🕯🕯🕯

In the hospital room, Lin looked around to see his family. His girls were getting along. His sons were back in his life. His wife was carrying their last child. The earth was spinning correctly. A little too correctly.

(A Week Later)
🕯🕯🕯

After all of the mayhem was over, Annemarie and Claudia were back in their room. Across the bathroom, Lesley and Nova shared a room. Next door to them, Feather and Allie were in a room. Across the hallway bridge, Enzo was back in his room. Next door was the soon to be nursery. And at the very end sat Pippa and Lins room. Not to mention, Lizzie and Mason had taken residence in the basement to save up for a new house and the wedding. You could say it was a full house.

It was Sunday evening, and the last week before Christmas and New Years break, exciting everyone that was still in school. And annoying everyone who wasn't. "Daddy! Can you check my project?" Feather asked, sitting at the table next to Allie as she finished her own paper. Enzo moved from the kitchen, where he was helping Pippa make dinner, and wiped his hands on the towel tucked in his waist band. It made Pippa smile to see Enzo stepping up as a parent. If only Lesley could get it together.

Nova and her aunts walked down the back staircase, and through the kitchen to take their seats at the island by Lizzie who was showing Pippa some of the wedding choices she'd picked. "I don't care! I'm not sending that!" Nova disagreed, closing her phone and flipping it over.

"Why not? It's so sexy! Your DM's would be poppin!" Annemarie gloated. Claudia playfully rolled her eyes as the girls took their seats.

"We should not encouraging our innocent baby—"

"I'm older than you,"

"Our innocent older baby niece to be so much like us. She's inexperienced and should stay that way," Claudia advocated. Annemarie brushed her sister off, about to speak when Pippa stepped in.

"What are you all trying to pressure Nova into?" Pippa asked, taking her eyes away from Lizzie's laptop. Claudia and Annemarie faced there mother, with sighs.

"What would you do if you got an "I miss you" Snapchat from your significant other? Send a simple mirror pic saying you miss them too?"

"Or! Send them a sexy topless pic where your nips are obviously covered... by your arm?" Annemarie asked as if it was obvious. Pippa's eyes went wide unsure as to why that was a question.

"No! No nudes! No one is sending nudes! Why? Why is that an option?" Pippa shut down immediately. Annemarie leaned back in her seat with a shrug.

"She took them. Why should she waste them?" Annemarie grumbled. Nova's eyes went wide, smacking her aunts good arm.

"Nova Grace!" Pippa scolded.

"Annemarie!" Nova scolded.

"Hey, I'm talking to you first. Why do you have those? Are you sending them?" Phillipa investigated, knowing that her daughter wasn't going to. Nova shrugged.

"If I don't send them, the girls from school might not like me," the fourteen year old honestly answered. Pippa couldn't believe her ears, but Lizzie quickly stepped.

"Hey, listen. You don't have to send nudes for those girls to like you. If they are pressuring you, then they aren't for you. The right one won't care about seeing you naked. She'll want to see your heart," she said. "And that goes for you two as well," Lizzie smiled. Pippa slid the oldest new family member a look of gratitude. She was thankfully to have her older ones back home to help out with the younger ones, but in the case of Lesley...it was as if she hadn't even moved back in.

"Nova, where is mom? She was supposed to help Papá at the theater today," Pippa asked. The teenager placed her phone in her lap and shrugged.

"Probably still sleeping," Nova replied. Phillipa gave her daughter a weird look as she turned down her sauce.

"Zo, keep an eye on this," she called. Everyone watched Pippa move up the back stairs until she was out of sight then turned to each other confused.

🕯🕯🕯

Upstairs, Pippa knocked on Lesley and Nova's door. With no response, the mother slowly came in to see Lesley lying under her blanket in her bed asleep. Pippa sat on the edge of her daughters bed. "Lesley, are you feeling okay?" Pippa gently asked, setting her hand on her child forehead. She had a slight fever.

"Hmm?" Lesley mumbled turning to face her mother.

"Lesley, you've been in and out of sleep all day. Are you sick? You're sweating," Pippa asked. Lesley shook her head, curling into a ball around her mother's body. "What's going on? Lesley, talk to me," Pippa pleaded.

"I—I'm g-g-going through withdrawals. It's nothing," she shivered. Pippa wasn't sure what her daughter had been taking, but it was much stronger than weed. Stress started to pile on Pippa as she got up from the bed. She could handle sickness, but seeing her child go through a drug withdrawal, while it was for the sake of her granddaughter, broke Pippa.

"Well, umm, just, uh, call me or dad if you need anything," Pippa rushed, before sprinting to her room. "Lin," she called, shutting the door to see her husband lying on the bed on his phone.

"Yeah?" He replied, setting his phone down. He got a good look at his wife to tell that her lip was quivering. "Awe, Pippa, what's wrong? Come here," Lin called. Almost, immediately, Phillipa hopped into the bed with her man.

"She's still our little girl. I want to protect her as much as I can, but... how do I keep doing this? I can't. It's—" Pippa gasped, feeling her stomach and back tighten.

"Pippa," Lin called. Pain swallowed the actress, snatching the words from her throat. "Phillipa," Lin said once more. A tear slipped from Pippa's eye, knowing this feeling all too well. A leak of water slipped down Pippa's sweats forming a puddle in her crotch.

For a moment, Pippa looked down to her pants, before letting out a cry of distress, as Lin would later describe. Lin looked between them to see her line of sight, breaking his heart in the process. "Pippa, talk to me. What are you feeling? Do you want to go to the hospital?" Lin panicked. Phillipa shook her head and slipped out of the bed. Thankful that the bed wasn't wet, Phillipa entered the bathroom.

Twenty minutes and a few Advil later, Pippa came out in new pants. Her hair was tied in a ponytail. She looked dead. "What did we expect? I'm 50. We've had miscarriages in the past. All of my pregnancy's were high risk. It was only a matter of time," she mumbled, wiping her tears in the process. Lin hopped up from the bed and pulled Pippa into a strong hug, but felt her push away. "I'm fine. And no one has to know," Pippa replied. With sad eyes she took herself out of the bedroom and back to the kitchen. Despite her physical and mental pain, she still had a family to raise.

🕯🕯🕯
To My Bomb.Com Friends and Supporters,
No more baby? Claudia and Annemarie worked it out? Nova is taking nudes??? Lesley is trying to be a good mom?? What's finna happen next? Everyone moves back home??? Oh wait... Comment.Like.Follow💕 ily💘